Charone
03-07-2003, 6:06 PM
Hey Everyone,
In a few days, I'll be undertaking the final stages of my indoor pond building project. I've already purchased the filter, the heater, the lighting, designed the base, built it of solid oak in a japanese style, stained it, and it's ready to recieve the fiberglass insert. I've made a 'mold' for the fiberglass insert to be contructed around, by assembling a skeleton frame inside the pond base, and used 1mm aluminum meshing to form the desired internal shape (sides, ledges, intake/outlet areas, etc). So now, it's time to apply fiberglass-to-wire, and complete this long running project of mine.
SO! My questions you guys are:
1. Do you have any tips for me!? I've fiberglassed before, but this is my most ambitious project to-date.
2. Do you have any experience with Fiberglass tanks? Any at all, good bad, whatever, the sooner I hear of them the better, I may be able to construct it in such a way as to avoid known pit-falls.
3. Do you have any ideas on how I might seal the custom plumbing setup where it enters the finished pond insert (below the waterline outlets/inlets)? Gaskets, Silicon, you name it, I'll consider it. I had planned on going with a healthy amount of Silicone, but am open to other ideas.
The design is a low, long, rectangular pond constructed of oak, stained, sealed, with a zero-visibilty filter/heat system (with, however, easy maintenance access), sitting on a pedestal-type base with japanese style beams giving support. It's intended location is the main part of my apartment, and is basically a center peice. Over the last few months, I've chosen fish (for after the cycling), built it based on their ideal set-ups, etc, and have put a lot of heart and soul into this. When I left home for school when I was 18, I left my tank there too, and since then, I've always watned to return to the hobby, but thought, that if I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it right, and build a dream tank for myself.
When she's all said and done, you can bet I'll provide pictures!
Thanks for any ideas guys,
Andrew
In a few days, I'll be undertaking the final stages of my indoor pond building project. I've already purchased the filter, the heater, the lighting, designed the base, built it of solid oak in a japanese style, stained it, and it's ready to recieve the fiberglass insert. I've made a 'mold' for the fiberglass insert to be contructed around, by assembling a skeleton frame inside the pond base, and used 1mm aluminum meshing to form the desired internal shape (sides, ledges, intake/outlet areas, etc). So now, it's time to apply fiberglass-to-wire, and complete this long running project of mine.
SO! My questions you guys are:
1. Do you have any tips for me!? I've fiberglassed before, but this is my most ambitious project to-date.
2. Do you have any experience with Fiberglass tanks? Any at all, good bad, whatever, the sooner I hear of them the better, I may be able to construct it in such a way as to avoid known pit-falls.
3. Do you have any ideas on how I might seal the custom plumbing setup where it enters the finished pond insert (below the waterline outlets/inlets)? Gaskets, Silicon, you name it, I'll consider it. I had planned on going with a healthy amount of Silicone, but am open to other ideas.
The design is a low, long, rectangular pond constructed of oak, stained, sealed, with a zero-visibilty filter/heat system (with, however, easy maintenance access), sitting on a pedestal-type base with japanese style beams giving support. It's intended location is the main part of my apartment, and is basically a center peice. Over the last few months, I've chosen fish (for after the cycling), built it based on their ideal set-ups, etc, and have put a lot of heart and soul into this. When I left home for school when I was 18, I left my tank there too, and since then, I've always watned to return to the hobby, but thought, that if I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it right, and build a dream tank for myself.
When she's all said and done, you can bet I'll provide pictures!
Thanks for any ideas guys,
Andrew